Memorial prize inspires East 15 graduates for 10 years

Tom Bennett was 25. Born and bred in Essex. Funny, kind and lovable. His sister describes him as ‘the life of the party’. He was sociable, with lots of friends and had a budding career in acting and DJing ahead of him as a first-class graduate from East 15 Acting School. He’d studied the BA in Contemporary Theatre Practice and performed in plays in London and the Edinburgh Fringe. An exciting future was ahead of him.

But he was also 25 when he passed away unexpectedly from Sudden Arrhythmic Death (SAD) syndrome. Tom’s family wanted to honour his life and let his legacy live on in a way that recognises who he was and what he loved. As well fundraising to raise awareness about SAD and other related heart conditions, they set up a prize with East 15 Acting School to continue supporting Tom’s fellow graduates in what he knew was a tough industry to get started in. The Tom Bennett Award was set up in 2014, and the first prize awarded the following year, and every year since.

Fast-forward to 2019, and Tom's Sister, Georgie, was planning her wedding with Swiss husband-to-be, Nans. Georgie, said his loss left a 'gaping hole' in her life. 

“I’ve taken many years to come to terms with not having a brother to share life’s ups and downs with. We supported each-other in many ways through childhood and into adulthood and the start of our careers and were always telling each other how proud we were of each other.

“We received many kind donations at Tom’s funeral, including several family friends who continue to donate annually which keep the award going. And one of the easiest wedding planning decisions we made was deciding to forego gifts and instead ask for donations to the Tom Bennett Award and the charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young. This was one of the important ways to include Tom in our wedding celebrations. We raised quite a bit of money through generous donations of our wedding guests that will enable us to continue the Tom Bennett Award for many years to come.”

The recipient of the award is decided each year at a cabaret evening put together by final-year students on the BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course at East 15. Georgie and her parents, along with the help of course director, Uri Roodner, select a winner to receive £500.

“It’s a hilarious evening and we hope that the £500 helps in launching their acting careers. I know Tom would be proud and I’m proud that we are able to support many budding young actors in Tom’s name.”

Recipients of the Tom Bennett Award

Since the first prize was awarded in 2015, twelve students have been chosen and £5,000 awarded. We caught up with two of the first recipients, Allie, one of the first recipients, to find out where her career has taken her. 

29-year-old Allie Dart received the Tom Bennett Award in 2016, graduating just a few months later and has had a number of roles on stage since. Earlier this summer, Allie made her West End debut in 2:22 A GHOST STORY, playing the cover lead of Lauren alongside Sophia Bush, Jamie Winstone and Ricky Champ. She’s now joined the cast of Unfortunate, a musical parody of the untold story of Ursula the Sea Witch, for a UK tour and London run in the role of Sebastian.

 Allie said: “Winning the Tom Bennett Award came as such a surprise. Not only was it a massive compliment but it funded my accommodation for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year. I had always loved comedy and wanted to take it further so winning the award was a real boost to my confidence and spurred me on to keep creating and to believe in myself.

“Straight after graduating from East 15 Acting School, Robyn Grant and I set up a company called Fat Rascal Theatre and started to create comedy musicals including BUZZ, Vulvarine and Tom and Bunny Save the World. We continued working hard to grow the company and the productions over the years and I am currently starring in our biggest and most popular show to date, Unfortunate; The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch (Southwark Playhouse and UK Tour). This year, I also had my West End Debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story (Apollo Theatre) which was a real proud moment for me. Comedy is at the heart of everything I do and I am so grateful to the Tom Bennett Award for considering me a worthy winner.”